As Cheap as I can get it - Ghetto Beauty?

[SbCaes]

all hostility aside(we are trying to build similar concept). have you ever thought of using cryptic filtration in the sump? instead of using a macro themed refugium.go with cryptic /skimmer(optional) to DSB with shallow macros. to return area back to tank? to mimic what a protein skimmer does? some use aptasia. etc xenia. and move to tunicates sponges etc to help filter the water , the latter having no skimmer to better feed the sponges, tunicates and other water filtering creatures?

 

What are your thoughts on that system for a skimmerless build.

[yardboy]

Not only aside, but over. I've visited Steve's Environmental Gradient site and found the information very thought provoking.

I think all your ideas have merit, ways tanks could be set up and ran. Have you tried any of them?

I kinda "backed into" a cryptic system with the way I set up my refugium. I'm all about diversity anyway so I ended up piling rock on the side closest to the return, which helped make a "semi-cryptic" area so sponges could grow (I've tried various tunicates with little luck, though I've gotten them accidentally as hitchhikers, but they didn't linger more than a few months) Here's a shot

While macro clamored all over the top of it, you can see from this shot that sponges have taken hold and are growing. (they're the grey blobs and stringy material)

 

The only concerns I have with cryptic filtration is that sponges are known to produce some pretty potent allelopathic substances to inhibit the growth of organisms close to them in the wild. I'm wondering if that might cause problems with growth inhibition if you used the wrong ones as a filter, though activated carbon might could alleviate that. Also, I've just not had much luck purposefully cultivating sponges or tunicates in my systems.

Good luck with trying them yourself. I'd like to see how it turns out.

Do you also get the impression that it takes quite a long time to establish such a filter?

[lgreen]

Wow, great work. First time I've seen this thread. I'm impressed what you have been able to do with such simplicity. That's how I like it.

[c est ma]

Knuckles, I'd be honored to have you use any aspect of the systems I've built.

I read and study and modify what I've seen others do, and people like Melev, who put it all out there for anyone to use are what I believe is the true spirit of sharing in our hobby.

 

There are a few threads on N-R that are right up there on the same level as Melev's, and this is certainly one of them! I just read it all through again from page one. Some day...

 

Thanks, yardboy!

 

--Diane

[yardboy]

Somehow I forgot to post what the setup of my SCWD looks like. It has worked pretty well, though sometimes it seems to get hung up on one side for awhile, then on the other. Oh well.

Here's what it looks like from a top view.

[Drez]

I have a question regarding your PVC pipe in that accepts the water from your tank. I'm trying to mimic the concept in my own custum sump.

 

How is it attached to the bottom of the tank? Is it just siliconed at the base? Are the cut outs that let the intake water out at the very base or raised part way up the pipe?

 

Given that in my tank, it's already in a chamber 3" x 9", you do think it might be more effective to simply partition off a 3" x 3" portion of the chamber with acrylic instead of using a pipe?

 

Sorry for the barrage of questions, your tank is a DIY inspiration.

 

thanks

[yardboy]

Drez, it isn't attached at all, just sat on the bottom in the corner.

Here's a shot of one showing the bottom and internals. Simple and cheap, really.

After I looked at your sump (nice work!) I see what you mean about the baffles, but it could still be used for chemical filtration media.

 

[monkeytrumpets]

Dropped in to say hi. How is GB doing? Any updates? This is such a great tank! Well done!

[bitts]

bump

[JWeller]

Amazing stuff you have accomplished here... and so ghetto but great! Just goes to show that you don't have to be independantly wealthy to go saltwater... LOL Neither one of my tanks have fuges or sumps.. but you've given me some great ideas how to do it fairly cheaply. Thanks! How are your tanks doing now?

 

Jen

[yardboy]

Very well. The jetties nano is thriving, good growth on the gorgonians, though I lost "Spongebob" the decorator crab. I've still got a couple of what look like stone crabs in the tank, need to get a trap to get them out, think they killed Bob. I've ordered cultures of rotifers and nannochloropsus for feeding the gorgs, though they seem to be growing well. I'm going to try a red or yellow finger gorgonian, which is azoozanthellate, so will need feeding. I'm also waiting for the water to warm a little bit so I can look for some tunicates, they are very common at the jetties.

Ghetto Beauty is doing well also, but has not changed as much in the last few months. I think my phosphates are running higher, I'm building a phosban reactor now, waiting for the iron hydroxide to come in.

 

The pico tank I dismantled, not as easy to care for, may try again later in a different configuration.

Thanks so much for asking. Spring is here, the outdoors keep calling me. I built Genie, my wife, a rose garden for Valentine's Day. A bit more difficult than cut flowers, but I'm looking forward to seeing it in bloom!

[sweetpea355]

Glad to here everything is still going good.

[c est ma]

Spring is here, the outdoors keep calling me. I built Genie, my wife, a rose garden for Valentine's Day. A bit more difficult than cut flowers, but I'm looking forward to seeing it in bloom!

 

Aw, that's so romantic!

 

Sorry about SpongeBob...he was most interesting.

 

--Diane

[capture]

i love it. thats my plan for the weekend a ghetto fuge. well not really, but maybe. thanks for the inspiration.

[fish.freak]

Sweet tank Yardboy! So nano-reef is where you have been hiding? What ever happened to pina reefers turbid lagoon?

[yardboy]

Hey!

It's now a prop tank for Euphyllia's and home to a randall's goby/tiger pistol shrimp pair.

They keep the sand pretty well bulldozed.

[yardboy]

Holy Cow!

It's been a while since I posted on this thread. Ghetto Beauty suffered a bit from neglect, too many tanks I guess. I was also a unsatisfied with the aquascaping of the tank, so when the cls started giving me trouble I decided to do some changes to the tank.

First, I took the SCWD on the closed loop apart as it had not been switching like it was supposed to, then I couldn't get it back together again! Bummer. I messed with it for nearly two days, all that time without any appreciable water movement in the tank. Really irritated me and I finally just left the guts out and put it back together. Of course, the flow is better now but it doesn't switch, though with both outlets pointing at each other there's enough chaos to not have it be laminar. Also, originally I had the suction of the cls in the overflow, but that was not a great idea as the overflow was really blowing and all the corals anywhere near it grew toward the overflow. Not so cute. I placed the suction in the opposite corner of the tank and put a piece of fine branched coral in front of it to hide it. I also added some base rock I'd gotten a deal on and put the live on top of it. Gives the tank a fuller feeling and offers more space to put corals on. Tank looks a 100% better. It's been set up like this for a month now and I've not had a cycle or algae bloom even with all the changes.

Enough talk. Here's the first shot. I'm soliciting to join the Sexy Shrimp tank club. Would a member please nominate me?

 

I have three in the tank, but haven't seen but two for a week or so, hope nothing has happened to #3

Notice the nice red Montipora frag. I got that from SeeDemTails on a trade. Thanks Christel, it's doing great!

 

 

 

While I'm still calling this an sps tank, I have a small collection of zoanthid frags.

 

[Mr. Fosi]

Verah prittah!

 

So... You couldn't figure out why it wasn't switching correctly? What does "not correctly" mean?

[Lalani]

Looks good...... oh.... WELCOME TO THE SEXY CLUB!!!!!!

[yardboy]

Verah prittah!

 

So... You couldn't figure out why it wasn't switching correctly? What does "not correctly" mean?

 

It would switch sproradically, and hang up in between. A couple of times I opened the top and it seemed to be hung up on the side so I unscrewed the shutter from the spindle slightly and it seemed to help, but it finally hung up and wouldn't work at all, so I took it apart, and couldn't get the darn little turbine back into place in the housing! It seems to work just fine as it is, but I didn't throw the parts away!

Here's a full tank shot. Everyone seems happy, but I'm thinking of a fish, but can't decide what. Any suggestions?

 

Here's closer shots of the green polyped Sarcophyton's

The short one -

And the longer one-

[clownfish1124]

i love your tank!!! do your leathers molt? if so how do you deal with the toxins with the sps?

[yardboy]

They do shed mucus, but I have carbon in a filter sock in the sump so it doesn't cause a problem. I've grown softies with sps in all my tanks but I understand the incompatibilities of some and have found that Sarco's can be handled with carbon.

I'm glad you like the tank!

[Lalani]

Nice blue background, btw.

[yardboy]

Nice blue background, btw.

 

I love it. Thanks!

[Needreefunds]

Incredible pics YB, just beautiful!

 

Everyone is looking happy.

 

Thanks for the update!